The Cannon class was a class of destroyer escorts built by the United States primarily for antisubmarine warfare and convoy escort service during World War II. The lead ship, USS Cannon, was commissioned on 26 September 1943 at Wilmington, Delaware. Of the 116 ships ordered, 44 were cancelled and six were commissioned directly into the Free French Forces. Destroyer escorts were regular companions escorting vulnerable cargo ships. With the decommissioning of the Philippine Navy's BRP Rajah Humabon (PS-11) in March 2018; HTMS Pin Klao (DE-413) of the Royal Thai Navy is the only ship of the class in commission. Propulsion The class was also known as the DET type from their diesel electric tandem drives. The propulsion system of the (GMT = General Motors Tandem) was identical. The DET's substitution for a turboelectric propulsion plant was the primary difference with the predecessor ("TE") class. The DET was, in turn, replaced with a direct-drive diesel plant to yield the design of the successor ("FMR") class. Hull numbers A total of 72 ships of the Cannon class were built. DE-99 through DE-113 (six are French) DE-162 through DE-197 DE-739 through DE-750 DE-763 through DE-771 Wartime transfers During World War II, six ships of the class were earmarked for the Free French Naval Forces and a further eight were transferred the Brazilian Navy. Free French ships as Sénégalais as Algérien as Tunisien as Marocain as Hova as Somali Transferred to Brazil as Babitonga as Baependi as Benevente as Beberibe as Bocaina as Bauru - now a museum ship in Rio de Janeiro as Bertioga as Bracui Postwar dispersal After the end of World War II, the United States Navy transferred many ships of the Cannon class to other navies. Transferred to France as Malgache (F724); served 1952-1969 as Touareg (F721); served 1950-1960 as Soudanais (F722); served 1950-1959 as Berbère (F723); served 1952-1960 as Kabyle (F718); served 1950-1959 as Arabe (F717); served 1950-1968 as Bambara (F719); served 1950-1959 as Sakalave (F720); served 1950-1960 Transferred to Greece as Leon; served 1951–1992 as Aetos; served 1951–1991; now a museum ship in Albany, New York, the only destroyer escort afloat in the United States as Ierax ; served 1951–1991 as Panthir; served 1951–1992 Transferred to Italy as Andromeda (F 592) 1951; scrapped in 1972 as Aldebaran (F 590) 1951; scrapped in 1976 as Altair (F 591) 1951; stricken and sunk as target in 1971 Transferred to Japan